Eligibility: Full-time incoming freshmen of Polish ancestry
Award amount: $2,000
Application: Now open
Deadline: March 1
The Felicia Jemionek Rzeznik Memorial Scholarship is a $2,000 scholarship to a qualified student of Polish ancestry pursuing full-time undergraduate studies at an accredited college or university in the United States. High school seniors are eligible to apply. Scholarship will be awarded for academic year September 2026 – May 2027.
This scholarship is named after Felicia Jemionek Rzeznik, who helped organize the group that would ultimately become St. Mary Polish American Society. Felicia was a high school history teacher in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a lifelong member of St. Mary Parish, and an active part of the Polish community in the Philadelphia region.
All applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2026, with a winner announced no later than April 30, 2026.
A complete application includes a cover sheet with typewritten responses to the background questions and a typewritten response to the essay question. Please send a completed application to budswed@verizon.net or a hard copy to: Dorothy Swedkowski 1804 Spera Lane Norristown, PA 19403
Selections are based on application completeness and thoughtful response to the essay topic. Background questions will not be used directly in the selection process but help to provide a more complete portrait of the applicants for the committee to review.
Background Information
Name Address High School and Year of Graduation College Attended (if any) School Activities Community Activities Awards or Honor Societies Actual or Intended Major and Career Goals
Essay Question
In 250 to 500 words, please respond to the following question: “Which noteworthy historical person from Poland or noteworthy historical person of Polish ancestry means the most to your life and why?”